But what you probably haven't seen --
because everyone has forgotten -- is that back in
2007, Chuck Hagel went totally crazy and told
the truth about our invasion of Iraq. Here's what he said:

People say
we're not fighting for oil. Of course we are.
They talk about America's national interest.
What the hell do you think they're talking
about? We're not there for figs.

Whew! Wouldn't
it put a spring in your step to read the news each
morning and see Hagel's name? If he's willing to say
that about Iraq, who knows what he'll bust out with
next! He might mention that the sky is blue, or two
plus two equals four... or even that we should
change the name of the Department of Defense back to
what it was before World War II -- the Department of
War.

Now, I'm not
saying Hagel is the best qualified choice for
Secretary of Defense. (That would be
Andrew Bacevich.) I'm not even saying he's the
best qualified senator or ex-senator. (There are
19 of those -- the surviving senators who voted
against invading Iraq in the fall of 2002. Hagel
voted yes.)

But what I
am saying is: thank you, Chuck Hagel. We may
not agree on much, but we agree that politicians
should tell the truth about war and peace and life
and death. We're all in your debt for that --
especially since, when it comes to Iraq and oil,
President Obama's first Republican
Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates,
couldn't manage it.

We ask readers to play a proactive role and click
the "Report link [at the base of each comment] when
in your opinion, comments cross the line and become
purely offensive, racist or disrespectful to others.

In accordance
with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material
is distributed without profit to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational
purposes. Information Clearing House has no
affiliation whatsoever with the originator of
this article nor is Information ClearingHouse
endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)